Magnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing function

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a magnetic coupling element (100) with a magnetic bearing function. The magnetic coupling element (100) has a drive-side coupling magnet (109) arranged on a drive shaft (106), and also an output-side coupling magnet (115) arranged on an output shaft (112), the output-side coupling magnet (115) being magnetically coupled to the drive-side coupling magnet (109), and finally a bearing magnet ring (118) which is non-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-side or output-side coupling magnet (109) or (115), a bearing magnet portion (133, 136) of the bearing magnet ring (118) having the same polarity as a coupling magnet portion (127, 130) opposite the bearing magnet portion (136).

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claimis identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the presentapplication are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND Field

The invention relates to a magnetic coupling element with a magneticbearing function and to a or to a method for producing a magneticcoupling element with a magnetic bearing function of the type specifiedin the independent claims. The present invention also relates to acomputer program.

Description of the Related Art

Magnetic coupling elements can be used in which opposing pairs ofmagnets are used to transmit torque without contact. In addition,diversion elements can also be used to guide a magnetic flux and thusincrease the transmittable torque and improve the efficiency of thecoupling element.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of this, the approach presented here introduces a magneticcoupling element with a magnetic bearing function, a method forproducing a magnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing function,a device which uses this method, and finally a corresponding computerprogram according to the main claims. The measures listed in thedependent claims allow advantageous embodiments and improvements of thedevice specified in the independent claim.

A bearing function can also be achieved in the radial direction, forexample, by means of an additional bearing magnet ring which is arrangedinside a magnetic coupling element so as to be offset from the couplingmagnets.

A magnetic coupling element is presented which has a magnetic bearingfunction, the magnetic coupling element comprising the followingfeatures:

-   -   a drive-side coupling magnet arranged on a drive shaft;    -   an output-side coupling magnet arranged on an output shaft, the        output-side coupling magnet being magnetically coupled to the        drive-side coupling magnet; and    -   a bearing magnet ring which is non-rotatably mounted with        respect to the drive-side or output-side coupling magnet, at        least one bearing magnet portion of the bearing magnet ring        having the same polarity as a coupling magnet portion opposite        the bearing magnet portion.

A drive shaft can be a rod-shaped machine element that is used totransmit rotary motion and torque and to support rotating parts.Coupling magnets can be a type of coupling element of which the torquetransmission function is based on the action of a magnetic field or acoupled. An output shaft can be a machine element in which the powerintroduced via the gear mechanism can be tapped at the shaft end of saidmechanism in the form of machine power. A bearing magnet ring can be anat least partially ring-shaped magnet which allows bearing withoutmaterial contact by magnetic forces. Overall, it should be noted thatthe approach presented here advantageously allows permanent magnets tobe used as magnets.

According to one embodiment, the bearing magnet ring and the drive-sideor output-side coupling magnet have magnetic poles which attract oneanother in the axial direction and oppose one another so as to repel oneanother in the radial direction. This can result in a considerablereduction in friction losses, and there can be improvements in terms ofefficiency, heat generation and wear.

According to one embodiment, the drive-side and the output-side couplingmagnet can each have at least coupling magnet portions having adifferent polarity, in particular with the two coupling magnet portionsbeing arranged or oriented in the axial direction. This can result in animproved carry-along effect by optimizing or aligning the magnetic fluxlines in the magnetic coupling element.

According to one embodiment, the bearing magnet ring can comprise atleast two bearing magnet ring portions of a different polarity, inparticular with the two bearing magnet ring portions being arrangedbeside one another in the axial direction. In this case, such astructure of axially adjacent and mirror-image bearing magnet ringportions can be produced more cost-effectively and simply and/or canhave an improved bearing function.

According to one embodiment, the bearing magnet ring can surround atleast one portion of the drive-side or output-side coupling magnet. Inthis case, a relatively high repelling force and thus a stable bearingfunction can be achieved between the bearing magnet ring and theopposite drive-side or output-side coupling magnet which is spaced aparttherefrom.

According to one embodiment, the bearing magnet ring portion can have anangular offset with respect to the opposite coupling magnet portion ofthe drive-side or output-side coupling magnet. In this case, the angularoffset can be used to compensate for the rotation of the two shafts withrespect to one another when torque is applied, during the bearing.

According to one embodiment, the drive-side or output-side couplingmagnet can radially surround the bearing magnet ring. The magneticfields radially emanating from the drive-side or output-side couplingmagnet can be combined and the magnetic force between the individualparts of the magnetic coupling element can be amplified.

According to one embodiment, the bearing magnet ring can be separatedfrom the drive-side or output-side coupling magnet by a tubular portionof a housing element. In this case, there can be a separation of media,in particular if the magnetic coupling element is intended to be used inregions around which fluid flows.

According to one embodiment, the housing element can be made from anon-magnetic metal or material and/or can be formed so as to benon-rotating or non-rotatable. A housing element of this kind allowslosses due to magnetic reversal of the housing element to be avoided.

Furthermore, a method for producing a magnetic coupling element with amagnetic bearing function is presented, the method comprising thefollowing steps:

-   -   providing the drive-side coupling magnet arranged on a drive        shaft, the output-side coupling magnet arranged on an output        shaft, and the bearing magnet ring; and    -   assembling the drive-side coupling magnet arranged on the drive        shaft, the output-side coupling magnet arranged on an output        shaft, and the bearing magnet ring in such a way that the        output-side coupling magnet is magnetically coupled to the        drive-side coupling magnet and the bearing magnet ring is        non-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-side or        output-side coupling magnet, at least one bearing magnet portion        of the bearing magnet ring having the same polarity as a        coupling magnet portion opposite the bearing magnet portion, in        order to produce a magnetic coupling element with a magnetic        bearing function.

Said method can be implemented, for example, in software or hardware orin a mixture of software and hardware, for example in a controller.

The approach presented here further provides a device which is designedto execute, trigger or implement the steps of a variant of a methodpresented here in corresponding apparatuses. The problem addressed bythe invention can also be quickly and efficiently solved by this variantof the invention in the form of a device.

For this purpose, the device can have at least one computing unit forprocessing signals or data, at least one memory unit for storing signalsor data, at least one interface to a sensor or an actuator for readingin sensors signals from the sensor or for outputting data or controlsignals to the actuator and/or at least one communication interface forreading in or outputting data which are embedded in a communicationprotocol. The computing unit can be a signal processor, amicrocontroller or the like, and the memory unit can be a flash memory,an EEPROM or a magnetic memory unit. The communication interface can bedesigned to read in or output data wirelessly and/or in a wired manner,it being possible for a communication interface which can read in oroutput data in a wired manner to read in said data from a correspondingdata transmission line or output same into a corresponding datatransmission line electrically or optically.

A device in the present case can be understood to mean an electricaldevice which processes sensor signals and outputs control and/or datasignals on the basis thereof. The device can have an interface which isdesigned as hardware and/or as software. In the case of a hardwaredesign, the interfaces can be part of a so-called ASIC system, forexample, which includes a wide range of functions of the device. It isalso possible, however, for the interfaces to consist of their own,integrated circuits or to at least partly consist of discretecomponents. In the case of a software design, the interfaces can besoftware modules which are present on a microcontroller, for example, inaddition to other software modules.

A computer program product or a computer program having program codethat can be stored on a machine-readable carrier or memory medium, suchas a semiconductor memory, hard-disk memory or an optical memory, isused to execute, implement and/or trigger the steps of the methodaccording to one of the above-described embodiments, in particular ifthe program product or program is executed on a computer or a device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the approach presented here are illustrated in thedrawings and explained in more detail in the following description. Inthe drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a magnetic couplingelement with a magnetic bearing function according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variant of a magneticcoupling element with a magnetic bearing function according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variant of a magneticcoupling element with a magnetic bearing function according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for one embodiment of a method for producing amagnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing function according toone embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a device for executing a method forproducing a magnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing functionaccording to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The magnetic coupling element 100 comprises a housing element 103, adrive-side coupling magnet 109 arranged on a drive shaft 106, anoutput-side coupling magnet 115 arranged on an output shaft 112, and abearing magnet ring 118. The different poles of the coupling magnets 109and 115 and the bearing magnet ring 118 are indicated with differentcolors, the north pole being indicated with an “N” and the south polebeing indicated with an “S.”

The output-side coupling magnet 115 is magnetically coupled to thedrive-side coupling magnet 109. The drive-side and output-side couplingmagnet 109 and 115 each have at least coupling magnet portions 121, 124,127, 130 having a different polarization, the coupling magnet portions121, 124, 127, 130 being arranged in particular in the axial direction.The bearing magnet ring 118 also comprises at least two bearing magnetring portions 133, 136 having a different polarization, the two bearingmagnet ring portions 133 and 136 also being arranged in particular inthe axial direction. The bearing magnet ring 118 surrounds at least oneportion 127 and 130 of the drive-side coupling magnet 109. The bearingmagnet ring 118 is non-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-sideor output-side coupling magnet 109 and 115, each bearing magnet portion133 and 136 of the bearing magnet ring 118 having the same polarizationor polarity as a coupling magnet portion 127 and 130 opposite thebearing magnet portion 133 and 136. The bearing magnet ring 118 and thedrive-side coupling magnet 109 have magnetic poles which attract oneanother in the axial direction and oppose one another so as to repel oneanother in the radial direction.

The drive shaft 106, which is a motor shaft according to one embodiment,and the output shaft 112 each carry magnetic dipoles, resulting in apreferably axially parallel magnetic flux. Since different poles attractone another, the output shaft 112 is carried along in the direction ofrotation when the drive shaft 106 rotates. The axial force occurring inthe process is absorbed by an axial bearing, which is not shown here.Magnetic yoke plates are also not shown in FIG. 1 . Depending on thetorque applied, the two shafts 106 and 112 rotate by several angulardegrees with respect to one other.

In order to demonstrate a radial bearing function, the bearing magnetring 118 is connected to one of the coupling magnets for conjointrotation, this being the drive-side coupling magnet 109 according to oneembodiment, in such a way that radially repelling poles oppose oneanother. The bearing magnet ring 118 is thus centered with respect tothe drive-side coupling magnet 109. If this bearing is extended in anaxially parallel manner, this arrangement can take over the completeradial bearing of a shaft. Care should be taken in this design that thecoupling magnets 109 and 115 are designed to be considerably strongerthan the bearing magnet ring 118 in order to ensure the transmission oftorque. For instance, it can be ensured that the repelling or attractingforces of the coupling magnets 109 and 115 are not able to produce arotation of the bearing magnet ring 118 on the shaft with respect tothose in the housing element 103, which would lead to an attractingforce between the bearing magnets. The coupling magnets 109 and 115 andthe bearing magnet ring 118 can in principle also be magnetized in a 2-,4-, 6- etc. poled manner.

The present magnetic coupling element 100 can be particularlyadvantageous in the case of all kinds of drives in which thetransmission of torque is required without using a shaft to be sealed bya seal and for which, at the same time, radial bearing of theoutput-side coupling magnet 115 is required. This is the case, forexample, in metering and micropumps for driving impeller-like rotors. Aparticular advantage is provided for driving in which drive-side andoutput-side media separation is desired.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variant of a magneticcoupling element 100 with a magnetic bearing function according to oneembodiment. The magnetic coupling element 100 shown in FIG. 2 can be,for example, a variation of the magnetic coupling element 100 shown inFIG. 1 .

The magnetic coupling element 100 comprises the housing element 103, thedrive-side coupling magnet 109 arranged on the drive shaft 106, theoutput-side coupling magnet 115 arranged on the output shaft 112, andthe bearing magnet ring 118. The different poles of the coupling magnets109 and 115 and the bearing magnet ring 118 are indicated with differentcolors, the north pole being light gray and the south pole being darkgray. The output-side coupling magnet 115 is magnetically coupled to thedrive-side coupling magnet 109. The bearing magnet ring 118 isnon-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-side or output-sidecoupling magnet 109 and 115, the bearing magnet portion 133 and 136 ofthe bearing magnet ring 118 having the same polarization as the couplingmagnet portion 127 and 130 opposite the bearing magnet portion 133 and136. One bearing magnet portion 201 has an angular offset 203.

The bearing magnet portion 136 has the angular offset 203 with respectto the opposite coupling magnet portion 130 of the drive-side couplingmagnet 109. In order to compensate for the rotation of the two shafts106 and 112 and the coupling magnets 109 and 115 with respect to oneanother when torque is applied, during the bearing, this can also beprovided in the angle-side assignment. An additional bearing magnet ring118, which is mounted so as to be angularly offset from one of thecoupling magnets 109 or 115, makes it possible, in addition to magneticpoles which attract one another in the axial direction and take over thecoupling function, to also have repelling poles which oppose one anotherin the radial direction, and which therefore demonstrate the bearingfunction.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variant of a magneticcoupling element 100 with a magnetic bearing function according to oneembodiment. The magnetic coupling element 100 shown in FIG. 3 can be,for example, a variation of the magnetic coupling element 100 show inFIG. 1 and FIG. 2 .

The magnetic coupling element 100 comprises the housing element 103, thedrive-side coupling magnet 109 arranged on the drive shaft 106, theoutput-side coupling magnet 115, and a bearing magnet ring 118. Thedifferent poles of the coupling magnets 109 and 115 and the bearingmagnet ring 118 are indicated with different colors, the north polebeing light gray and the south pole being dark gray. The bearing magnetportion 133 and 136 of the bearing magnet ring 118 has the samepolarization or polarity as the coupling magnet portion 121 and 124opposite the bearing magnet portion 133 and 136.

According to one embodiment, the output-side coupling magnet 115radially surrounds the bearing magnet ring 118. Between the bearingmagnet ring 118 and the output-side coupling magnet 115 there is atubular portion 303, for example a thin-walled hollow cylinder, of thehousing element 103 which separates the bearing magnet ring 118 from theoutput-side coupling magnet 115. The housing element 103 is made from anon-magnetic metal and/or is formed so as to be non-rotating. Thehousing 103 results in a separation of media such that, for example inthe case of a pump drive, the medium to be pumped cannot reach theinterior of the motor.

In general, it can also be stated that the relative strength of themagnets with respect to one other, in particular the relationshipbetween the additional (bearing) magnet ring and the drive-side andoutput-side coupling magnet, is designed in such a way that, asdescribed above, the repelling forces of the bearing magnetic field alsolead to torque and thus to a weakening of the coupling function in thecase of axial bearing of the shaft. Therefore, the coupling magnetsought to be designed in such a way that the torque thereof occurringduring use is always dominant. The attracting or repelling axial forcesas well as flow forces (using the example of a pump) that occur ought tobe largely balanced out or absorbed by the axial bearing mentioned above(e.g. ball or slide bearing). Exemplary dimensions of the individualmagnetic elements can, in the order of magnitude of the entire couplingin the intended application thereof, involve overall lengths of 3 to 5mm and diameters of approx. 6 mm. A magnetic strength of the magnetsthat can be used here can be approximately 1.4 Tesla and can have(temperature-dependent) coercivity field strengths of from −1600 to 0kA/m.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart for one embodiment of a method 400 forproducing a magnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing functionaccording to one embodiment. The method 400 can be designed, using thedevice for executing the method 400 presented in FIG. 5 , to produce amagnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing function.

In a step 403, the drive-side coupling magnet arranged on a drive shaft,the output-side coupling magnet arranged on an output shaft, and thebearing magnet ring are provided. Finally, in a step 406, the drive-sidecoupling magnet arranged on a drive shaft, the output-side couplingmagnet arranged on an output shaft, and the bearing magnet ring areassembled in such a way that the output-side coupling magnet ismagnetically coupled to the drive-side coupling magnet, and the bearingmagnet ring is non-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-side oroutput-side coupling-magnet, at least one bearing magnet portion of thebearing magnet ring having the same polarity as coupling magnet portionopposite the bearing magnet portion, in order to produce a magneticcoupling element with a magnetic bearing function.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a device 500 for executing a method forproducing a magnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing functionaccording to one embodiment. The device 500 is designed to executeand/or trigger the steps of the method for producing a magnetic couplingelement with a magnetic bearing function in corresponding units.

The device 500 comprises a provision apparatus 503 and an assemblyapparatus 506. The provision apparatus is designed to provide aproduction signal 509 to the assembly apparatus 506 in order to give theassembly apparatus the signal to assemble the individual components ofthe magnetic coupling element. The provision apparatus 503 is furtherdesigned to provide the drive-side coupling magnet arranged on a driveshaft, and also the output-side coupling magnet arranged on an outputshaft, and finally the bearing magnet ring. The assembly apparatus 506is designed to receive the production signal 509 in order to assemblethe drive-side coupling magnet arranged on the drive shaft, and also theoutput-side coupling magnet arranged on the output shaft and finally thebearing magnet ring in such a way that the output-side coupling magnetis magnetically coupled to the drive-side coupling magnet and thebearing magnet ring is non-rotatably mounted with respect to thedrive-side or output-side coupling magnet, at least one bearing magnetportion of the bearing magnet ring having the same polarity as acoupling magnet portion opposite the bearing magnet portion, in order toproduce a magnetic coupling element with a magnetic bearing function.

If an embodiment comprises an “and/or” conjunction between a firstfeature and a second feature, this should be understood to mean that theembodiment has both the first feature and the second feature in oneform, and has either only the first feature or only the second featurein another form.

What is claimed is:
 1. Magnetic coupling element (100) with a magnetic bearing function, wherein the magnetic coupling element (100) has the following features: a drive-side coupling magnet (109) arranged on a drive shaft (106); an output-side coupling magnet (115) arranged on an output shaft (112), the output-side coupling magnet (115) being magnetically coupled to the drive-side coupling magnet (109); and a bearing magnet ring (118) which is non-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-side or output-side coupling magnet (109, 115), at least one bearing magnet portion (133, 136) of the bearing magnet ring (118) having the same polarity as a coupling magnet portion (127, 130) opposite the bearing magnet portion (133, 136). 